Can We Talk About Parking Lot Etiquette For A Minute?

When Did Parking Lot Etiquette Get So Complicated?

Picture this: You pull into a grocery store parking lot and can't believe your luck.

There's an open parking spot right by the front door. Not halfway across the parking lot. Right up front.

You pull into the primo position and then realize the car parked directly across from you was getting ready to leave.

No big deal. Except they weren't planning to back out.

They wanted to drive straight through the empty parking spot you had just pulled into so they could conveniently head out of the parking lot without having to put their car in reverse.

Here's Where It Got Interesting

Instead of backing out like, well, pretty much everyone else does when they're leaving a parking space, the occupants of the car got upset that I had pulled into the open spot.

Apparently, I was supposed to put my car in reverse and back out so they could pull straight through.

What?

You were parked. I was looking for a parking space. I found an empty one. I pulled into it.

I'm not sure when we decided that someone who is already parked gets priority over an open parking space because they don't feel like backing up, but I clearly missed that memo.

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Is This Actually A Thing?

Now, I completely understand why someone would want to pull through a parking space instead of backing out. It's easier. It's quicker.

But if the space you need to drive through is empty and another car pulls into it before you leave, isn't the answer simply to... back up?

That's what reverse is for.

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It's not like I pulled into a space someone was waiting for with their blinker on. I didn't cut anyone off.

I parked in an open spot.

I'm pretty sure there's not a rule that says you have to give up an open parking space so someone else can avoid backing out of their spot.

Maybe I'm wrong. Maybe this is some parking lot etiquette rule I never learned.

Agree to Disagree

And finally, to the two gentlemen in the New Hartford Hannaford parking lot who were throwing their hands up and shaking their heads at the person who had the audacity to pull into an open parking spot...that was me.

I appreciate that you were passionate about your position, but I'm still trying to understand why I was supposed to back out of the spot I had just parked in so someone else could avoid backing out of theirs.

So, gentlemen, if you’re reading this, no hard feelings. We clearly have very different ideas about parking lot etiquette. But I have to admit, watching the two of you throw your hands up and shake your heads like I had just committed the ultimate parking lot offense was pretty funny.

And apparently, one empty parking spot at Hannaford has now turned into a whole story.